Make your own retro Galaga earrings

Galaga fighter ship earrings

Galaga Fighter ship earrings. Photo by Monica Jones

We’re selling finished earrings in our store, but if you have access to a laser cutter, you can make your own with our free downloadable .svg file (see materials below).

Materials

Galaga ship .svg file
1/8-inch-thick white acrylic sheet sized for your laser cutter
Fine-tipped paint pens in blue and red
Gloss varnish
Jewelry findings (fish hooks and jump rings)
Jewelry pliers
Painter’s tape

Tips

  • The .svg file is separated into three layers. Cut the outermost layer and score the other two.

  • If your acrylic doesn’t come masked, cover the front and back with painter’s tape or masking tape to prevent scorch marks. When your cut is complete, remove just the areas you want to paint. The tape will work as a stencil to make your job easier.

  • I use white acrylic sheets because they’re easy and sturdy, but use any laser-safe material you prefer. Stick with acrylic if you decide to make the earrings thinner than 1/8 inch.

  • Varnish the earrings once the paint is completely dry. I prefer leaving the tape on while applying the varnish because the acrylic is already as glossy as it’s going to get, but it’s up to you.

  • If you’ve never made earrings before, check out this video on how to attach the jump ring and fish hook to the base.

  • This design is available for personal use.

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MAKER MONDAY: A rose by any other name...

Roses are cut from MDF wood and spray painted. Photo by Monica Jones

… wouldn’t be called a rose. It would be called something else. This is basic vocabulary.

These laser-cut roses were a quick way to finish off our kids’ Easter baskets. I spray-painted them, but if you have more time than I did, adding more color would be a nice touch.

The 1/8 inch engineered wood I initially used was flimsy, so I tried 1/8-inch acrylic. It was was better, bit these are still fragile, so don’t expect them to last forever. If my kids really love them, I’ll try 1/4-inch wood.

Find the .svg files at Creative Fabrica. The bundle includes roses with different sayings, which you could use to make a bouquet if you’re feeling ambitious.

I bought a subscription to Creative Fabrica in a moment of weakness after I saw the 800th Facebook ad for it, but I have no regrets. Masterwork Tools gets a small commission from sales at Creative Fabrica through the link above, but I discovered we had an affiliate account after I decided to write this blog post. I’ve been using it for personal and commercial projects, since my membership gives me rights to use the designs in my own finished products. If that’s important to you, be sure to read the fine print. Sales rights end if you cancel your membership. You can also pay per design.

One person's trash is still trash, eventually

I have a confession: I often toss my tiny scrapbook cuttings into the recycling bin or trash rather than sort and store them because I just can’t even with the mess. Frugal bloggers tell me I should save them all for future projects. Maybe I could build an origami Winnebago or something. But the human spirit can take only so many wee pieces of paper. 

Given my own failings, I’m not about to give you shit for the size of your carbon footprint. But you might be interested in a change that I hope will make our small business more sustainable – or, depending on your perspective, a bigger symbol of everything that’s wrong with “woke culture.”

There’s no getting around the fact that laser-cutting, resin art and 3D-printing create a lot of waste. We’re already recycling and reusing whatever we can. We have a large collection of failed cuts and prints that often get recycled into other projects. But MDF wood, PLA plastic and cured resin can’t be recycled in most communities. PLA is technically compostable, but few facilities are equipped to deal with it, so for practical purposes, it isn’t. Other woods are more sustainable, but no one wants to pay a premium for unicorn earrings. 

Realistically, there’s nothing we can do with the waste except dispose of it properly, but I’ve made one change. I’ve switched from MDF to acrylic in the designs where it makes sense to do so – specifically, the slime earrings and unicorn earrings – and it will be my first choice moving forward. The wood versions will be available until they run out.

I know what you’re thinking. “But acrylic isn’t any better for the planet than MDF, you colossal twat.” 

You’re wrong. I’m only a gargantuan twat according to Pathfinder rules. But beyond that, acrylic requires no sanding, minimal priming, less paint, and less sealant. With some projects, I can eliminate resin entirely and still get great results. And I don’t have to wear a respirator to make them anymore. We live in the best of all possible worlds.

As we continue to look for ways to make Masterwork Tools more sustainable, we’re happy to hear suggestions and changes you’ve made in your crafting. Share your ideas in the comments.

MAKER MONDAY: I wear my heart on my earlobe

Remember: When two hearts beat as one, seek immediate medical assistance. You are experiencing a serious health crisis.

I finished these Valentine’s Day earrings just in time for the holiday last week, as a gift to myself.

I bought the design from SniggleSloth on Etsy and modified it to add a hole for the jump ring. Then I laser-cut the pieces from scrap wood, hand-painted them, sprayed them with a clear UV-resistant coating to prevent yellowing, and domed the earrings with UV resin.